Workshops on Request are presented by CTLS staff and require a minimum of 3 participants, which can be a combination of library staff, board members, and volunteers. Invite neighboring library staff and make it more fun! Contact the presenter to book a workshop.

Book Clubs are Good Fun

Presented by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , CTLS Staff
2 hrs. CE credit

If you’ve ever been part of a book club, you know that wonderful (and surprising) things happen when a group of people come together to discuss books. This workshop will give you the basics – what web sites have good book lists, how the group decides what titles to read, where to find outlines for group discussions and how to avoid common pitfalls.  If you love to read, book clubs are a good way to make new friends and find new books.   

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost ,  nonmembers - $20 per person

Customer Service in a Changing World

Presented by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , CTLS Staff
3 hrs. CE credit

This workshop is designed to strengthen library customer service while giving staff tips on how to maintain a positive library environment.  We will discuss general customer service practices as well as specific issues related to your library. We’ll also learn and practice a communications model which will help you work more confidently with problem patrons. 

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost ,  nonmembers - $30 per person

Design and Manage your own Web Site using Plinkit

Presented by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , CTLS Staff
2 hrs. CE credit

Learn to create and edit your library’s website right through the web.  Plinkit, Public Library Interface Kit, offers powerful features that make a tough job simpler and will give your library a clean, useable website.  The software, workshop and website hosting is brought to you by Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Cost: No cost

Developing a Marketing Plan for your Library

Presented by Jennifer Patterson, CTLS Staff
3 hrs. CE credit

This is a customized workshop for small libraries that want to increase usage and impact on their communities. Topics will include studying the community, selling the importance of the library to local government, making the building more appealing, improving and marketing collections, and planning and publicizing events.

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost ,  nonmembers - $30 per person

Inventory Counts!

Presented by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , CTLS Staff
3 hrs. CE credit

Libraries rarely inventory their collection but it is a useful exercise before automation or to get a clear handle on what you actually own.  Learn the basics of how to inventory your collection with hands-on activities using your own collection.  If you use Athena software, you will also get to use CTLS’s hand-held scanners for quick and easy inventorying. 

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost ,  nonmembers - $30 per person

Long Range Planning for Small Libraries

Presented by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , CTLS Staff
8 hrs. total CE credit

Smaller libraries usually start with a simplified approach to planning.  This workshop provides participants with a template and simple guidelines for creating a plan.  By the end of 4 sessions, participants will have created a draft of a five-year plan.  The workshop is broken up into short segments, suitable for monthly meetings with board members, staff and other community participants.

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost ,  nonmembers - $80 per person

The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste:  Mental Health Information

Facilitated by Jennifer Patterson and presented by Becky McKay, 2 hrs. CE credit 

In this class you will learn some excellent sites for mental health information on the Internet and practice what you’re learning with exercises. You will also get an overview of mental health issues. This class can be geared to library staff, patrons or both.  Attendees will be able to follow along online if your facility has a computer lab.

Becky McKay is the outreach librarian at Texas A&M University Medical Sciences Library.  She teaches medical and veterinary students how to use library resources and serves as the medical librarian for the local hospital in Bryan/College Station.  She has been a medical librarian for 15 years.

Cost: No cost

Online Genealogy

Presented by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , CTLS Staff
2 hrs. CE credit

Help your local genealogists find useful information online at your library.  Learn how to use HeritageQuest, a database of the United States Census and over 25,000 family and local histories.  Other useful online sites will also be featured.  This is a hands-on workshop.

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - $20 per person

Reference 2.0

Presented by Jennifer Patterson and Kam McEvoy, CTLS Staff
3 hrs. CE credit

Designed for staff and volunteers who want to expand their reference services using electronic resources. Participants will explore web browsers, search engines, social software and selected TexShare databases, as well as look at familiar reference books in their online form. We discuss how the Internet has changed reference service, for better and for worse.

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - $30 per person

Storytime Boot Camp

Presented by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , CTLS Staff
3 hrs. CE credit

Learn how to plan, present, and select books and activities that are just right for a 30-minute storytime for 3 to 5 year olds.  Geared for staff and volunteers with little or no experience, the workshop will focus on the nuts & bolts of preschool storytime.  You’ll also get to practice reading to a group, doing fingerplays and selecting appropriate materials for this fun library service.

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - $30 per person

Storytime Sign Language

Facilitated by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , CTLS Staff
3 hrs. CE credit

Infants and young children can communicate BEFORE they learn to talk—through basic American Sign Language.  Librarians can use sign language in storytime—to entertain and teach, both children and their caregivers.  Learn a host of useful signs, how to use signs in song and stories and how to incorporate signs in your everyday work with children in the library.  Presented by Melanie Casal, signing mother and basic sign language trainer.

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - $30 per person

Teambuilding Using Myers-Briggs (MBTI)

Presented by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , CTLS Staff
3 1/2 hrs. CE credit

We have much to learn about building teams within libraries.  Positive work environments don’t just happen; they require effort.  This workshop explores the dynamics of interpersonal communication and personality using the MBTI.  We will also explore methods for building effective organizations from people with diverse goals, needs and personalities.

Cost:  Member libraries – $20 per person for materials   nonmembers - $50 per person

Texana Literature for Everyone

Presented by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , CTLS Staff
2 1/2 hrs. CE credit

The most important works of history and fiction about the great Lone Star State will be discussed and evaluated for appropriateness to your collection.  The New Handbook of Texas will also be covered.  Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the great literary tradition of Texas.  

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - $25 per person

Texas Reading Club for Beginners

Presented by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , CTLS Staff
3 hrs. CE credit

Need help planning a great summer reading program but don’t know where to start?  No problem.  Learn how to use Texas Reading Club materials (plus your own talent) to plan and present storytimes, activities and summer programs for children ages 3 to 8.  We’ll also cover publicity, incentives and fundraising.  This workshop is designed for staff and volunteers with little or no experience running a summer reading program.

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - $30 per person

Training for your Library Board

Presented by Pat Tuohy, CTLS Director
2 hrs. CE credit

This workshop focuses on the special training needs of your library board.  Areas that may be covered include:  definition of responsibilities, scope of services offered, public relations, library advocacy, and the Board’s relationship with the staff, local governments and the public. 

Cost:  Member libraries - no cost   nonmembers - $20 per person

Using the TexShare Databases

Presented by  Kam McEvoy, CTLS Staff
3 hrs. CE credit

Here’s your chance to get some hands-on practice using the full-text magazine, journal and newspaper databases provided by Texas State Library and Archives Commission.  The workshop can be tailored to cover the specific databases you think are most important in your community.  2 hours CE credit

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers $20 per person

Weeding your Adult Collection

Presented by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , CTLS Staff
3 hrs. CE credit

Are your shelves crowded?  Do they look dingy?  Then this workshop is for you.  Learn the basic rules for weeding the different parts of a library collection.  Working with the CREW Method, one part of your library will be weeded.  The workshop is for library staff that want to weed, but need a little help getting started.

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - $30 per person

Weeding your Children's Collection

Presented by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , CTLS Staff
3 hrs. CE credit

Do your space books cover the Moon landing as if it just happened?  Are your picture books so dog-eared that they look like a health hazard?  Believe it or not, less is more.  If you get rid of the dross, your good books will fly off the shelves.  Use the CREW Method to weed one part of your children’s collection.  This workshop is for library staff that want to weed, but need a little help getting started.

Cost:  Member libraries – no cost   nonmembers - $30 per person

When an Apple a Day Isn’t Enough:  Consumer Health Information

Facilitated by Jennifer Patterson and presented by Becky McKay, 2 hrs. CE credit 

There's plenty of health information on the Internet, but not all of it is accurate or up-to-date.  In this class, you will explore some of the best health sites on the web AND learn how to evaluate the quality of health-related web sites.  This class can be for library staff, patrons or both.  Attendees will be able to follow along online if your facility has a computer lab.

Becky McKay is the outreach librarian at Texas A&M University Medical Sciences Library.  She teaches medical and veterinary students how to use library resources and serves as the medical librarian for the local hospital in Bryan/College Station.  She has been a medical librarian for 15 years.

Cost: No cost